Draft-equalizer



(No Model.)

' A. HUNT.

DRAFT EQUALIZER.

No. 424,987. Patented Apr. 8, 1890.

U ITED STATES PATENT ALMON HUNT, OF ATLANTIC, OWA.

DRAFTFEQUALIZER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,987, dated April 8, 1890.

Application filed June 8, 1889.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALMON HUNT, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Atlantic, in the county of Cass and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Draft- Equalizer, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in draft-equalizers; and the objects of my improvements are to provide a draft-equalizer to be used in connection with self-bindin g harvestin g-machines and reapers which will overcome the side draft of the harvesters and reapers, which will assist thehorses in turning the machine, and which is so constructed that the draft of thehorses will be equalized when one horse is used on one side of the pole and three on the other, and which can be readily converted, when desired, from a four-horse to a three-horse equalizer. I attain these objects by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the draft equalizer and a portion of a self-binding harvesting-machine frame with which the equalizer is connected. Fig. 2 is a detailed perspective view of the rear draw-bar that is hinged to the frame of the machine.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

F designates a portion of the front part'ot' a self-binding harvesting-machine frame.

G designates a portion of the cutting apparatus of the machine.

A designates the tongue of a self-binding harvestinganachine of the usual construction, which is hinged at its rear end to the frame of the machine.

B is a lever, that is pivotally secured at one end to the tongue.

D is a lever provided with one or more apertures 6 which is pivotally secured to the lever B by means of the bolt 6.

I is a draw-bar, that is hinged at its rear end to the front portion of the machine-frame at a point between the tongue and the cutting apparatus. It can be hinged to the frame of the machine in any convenient manner; but I prefer to hinge it to the frame by means of providing the frame with the socket a, having apertures to receive a bolt, and by bend- (No model.)

ing the rear end of the draw-bar so as to forman aperture a and by passing the bolt 6 through the aperture a in the rear end of the draw-bar and the apertures in the socket a adapted to receive it. The forward end of the draw-bar is provided with the slot 6 and rests upon the tongue, and is held in a proper position upon the tongue by means of the guide-bolt e, which passes loosely through the slot e into the tongue. The slot is constructed of such length that the bolt 6 only comes in contact with the draw-bar upon the sides of the slot.

O is a lever, which is pivoted to the upper side of the draw-bar I. It is provided with the aperture 6 located about midway between the pivot that secures the lever C to the drawbar I and the end of the lever C.

H are parallel draw-bars having their opposite ends pivotally secured, respectively, to the lever B and to the end of the lever G.

H are parallel draw-bars having their opposite ends pivotally secured, respectively, to the lever D and to the lever O.

P is a chain, that is secured at one end to the lever B and at the other end to the frame of the machine.

e is a perforated disk or washer, through which the bolt 6' passes. It is located between the levers D and B.

E is a doubletree secured to the end of the lever B,'and E is a doubletree secured to the end of the lever D. Both of the doubletrees are provided at their ends with clevises, to which are attached singletrees.

By the construction shown in the drawings, one of the horses will be located on that side of the tongue next to the cutting apparatus, while the other three will be abreast of each other on the opposite side of the tongue.

I have illustrated my invention as adapted for use as a four-horse equalizer; but by removing the doubletree E and placing a singletree in its place, and also by moving the parallel draw-bars H to the aperture c as shown by the broken lines, and attaching them to the lever G at this point, I provide an improved three-horse equalizer.

The chain P facilitates the turning of the machine around the corners when the machine is in use.

It will be observed that I attach the drawbar I directly to the frame of the machine at a point between the tongue and cutting apparatus, by means of which the line of draftwill be located between the tongue and cutting apparatus, and all side draft will be avoided and overcome. It is evident that the entire draft of all the horses will come upon the draw-bar I and. none whatever upon the tongue.

By means of the apertures c the draw-bars H are adjustably secured to the lever D, so that if one pairof the horses used are stronger than the other pair the difference in their draft can be equalized.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An equalizer draft-bar having its rear end hinged to the frame of the harvestingmachine and its forward slotted end secured to the tongue by means of a bolt passing through the slotinto the tongue, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a draft-equalizer, of

the draft-bar having its rear end secured to the frame of the harvesting-machine and its forward end supported by the tongue, with the lever pivoted thereto, substantially as described.

The herein shown and described equalizer, consisting of the following elements in combination: the tongue, the long forward lever pivoted to the tongue, the short forward lever pivoted to the long forward lever, the draft-bar having its rear end hinged to the machine and its forward end supported by the tongue, the rear lever pivoted to the draftbar, the parallel connecting-bars pivoted at their rear ends to the rear lever and at their forward ends to the long forward lever,- and the parallel connecting-bars pivoted at their rear ends to the rear lever and at their forward ends to the short forward lever, substantially as set forth.

ALMON HUNT.

lVitnesses:

JAMES Peon, IIENRY- I-Iu-nsPErH. 

